waltz away, Malcolm

Malcolm McLaren was a funny chap. He had that British eccentricity shtick down for real. He was uncompromising. Always a trump card up his sleeve. He was clever, colorful and controversial. A visionary. An opportunist. He made cash from chaos. He tapped into subcultures and wove them into the mainstream.

With his untimely passing, let's celebrate his talent. As an impresario, he was unparalleled. He's often most remembered for his management and PR duties for influential groups like Sex Pistols and Bow Wow Wow. But Malcolm had an uncanny knack for spotting a trend and shaping it for the future.

Here are my five, fave, musical moments from Malcolm McLaren.

"Double Dutch" (1982)

Beyond Bow Wow Wow. Malcolm got behind the mic and tapped into reggae dub after spending time with the Burundi beat.




"Buffalo Gals" (1983)

All that scratchin' is makin' me itch. The beat box was king. NYC oozed from every groove. Neneh Cherry would not have stood in a buffalo stance without it.




"Deep In Vogue" (1989)

Strike a pose. There's nothing to it. Malcolm made the introduction. Madonna took over at the nexus. Genius learns from genius.




"House Of The Blue Danube" (1990)

His ZTT inspired moment. The art of drama.




"Paris Paris" (1994)

His love affair with the City Of Light. Art house, world music after Enigma put it on the map with "Sadeness, Part 1".



Simply amazing!